Quarterly Update: Q1 2024

Quarterly Update

Q1 2024

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Epicenter review of our activitie

This update highlight news, programs, partn entrepreneurs in our p focusing on technolog downtown office spac

As always, we are thri resilience and innovat local businesses we su partnerships that are

Thank you for your on Epicenter's journey. Y enthusiasm are funda entrepreneurs and fac

Best regards,

Jessica Taveau President and CEO

Epicenter Quarterly Update

ECOSYSTEM STATS

ENTREPRENEURS SERVED IN Q1

373

Entrepreneurs Served

Identified As Women

Identified as Black or African-American

259

Entrepreneurs Engaged through Workshops & Events 51%

Identified as Black or African-American 56%

Identified as women

Epicenter Quarterly Update

PROGRAM UPDATES

In March, Epicenter launched its inaugural Capital Readiness Accelerator cohort.

Epicenter’s Capital Readiness Accelerator is a structured, multi-phase program that gives entrepreneurs the knowledge they need to effectively navigate the fundraising environment

Phase 1 of the program, So You Think You Want Investment, featured two simultaneous cohorts: an equity investment cohort led by Nate Smith, Epicenter’s Director of Startup Services and a debt Investment cohort, led by Choya Johnson, Epicenter’s Capital Programs Specialist

Topics of discussion included understanding debt and equity capital, analyzing debt capital in business contexts, preparing for debt capital acquisition, navigating the debt capital acquisition process and understanding the mechanics of debt and equity capital.

Phase 1 graduates are eligible to apply to Phase 2: Be Smarter than Your Banker Graduates of Phase 1 may also be eligible for individualized fundraising support on a caseby-case basis.

Learn more about this program: https://www epicentermemphis org/capitalreadiness-accelerator

Epicenter Quarterly Update

PROGRAM UPDATES

TheInnovator’sWorkshop

In March, Epicenter hosted The Innovator's Workshop, aimed at equipping emerging startup founders with crucial problemsolving and strategic planning skills. The event, led by Ryan Ramkhelawan of Start Co., and Olaf Schulz, Director of Venture Development at Epicenter, was a resource for founders looking to tackle challenges and capitalize on new opportunities within their industries.

Key industries of focus included mobility & transportation, healthcare, logistics, agriculture, education, food tech, tourism & hospitality, manufacturing, and electric vehicles

Life Science Tennessee partnered with Epicenter on the event to sponsor a post-workshop Happy Hour with the goal of providing an additional networking opportunities for participants

Epicenter’sMentorshipNetwork

Epicenter spent the first quarter building enthusiasm for its mentorship network among entrepreneurs, service providers, and mentors. We hosted two informational sessions in January and February, resulting in over 20 applications to join the network

Learn More

HeadshotsforFounders

Epicenter recently opened up the opportunity for founders to receive professional headshots with the goal of helping local businesses elevate their online presence. Geared toward program graduates, it is our hope that founders can leverage their headshots for websites, social media, business pitches and more.

PROGRAM UPDATES

TheWholeEntrepreneur: AMental&EmotionalWellness

SeriesforBlackFounders

Black founders have a unique experience as they na and the barriers that exist for historically underrepr with Brennan Steele to build and host The Whole E health workshops that address some of the common goal of bolstering mental wellness and building com

Workshops topics included overcoming imposter syndrome, navigating racial and gender stress, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, boundary setting and self-care practices, and the stress of stepping up.

CO.STARTERS

Congratulations to January class of 2024!

Under the leadership of Mike Davis, Epicenter’s Entrepreneur Support Manager and the Kimberlee Deneice, CO.STARTERS Facilitator, our team helped guide a group of founders through the process of turning their ideas into foundations for thriving businesses. The group included entrepreneurs looking to start businesses in software tech, medical devices, catering and professional services to name a few

Brennan Steele Program Facilitator The Whole Entrepreneur

Epicenter Quarterly Update

FOUNDER MILESTONES

AngelInvestorEvents

Epicenter was proud to support fundraising events for three founders this quarter:

AnyCreek is the leading online resource and marketplace for outdoor guided experiences. Trusted by world-class guides, AnyCreek streamlines their back office to help them focus on their craft, book more trips, and save time The $689B outdoor recreational market has traditionally been offline, fragmented, hyper-local, and incredibly difficult to navigate The team at AnyCreek has taken their experiences from Dropbox, Compass, Costa Sunglasses, & Uber to build a vertical solution that uniquely powers the best outdoor businesses and will inevitably make these experiences more accessible to all. Learn more about AnyCreek

Sound Credit is a software company that provides a variety of products for the music industry, including credit management, collaboration and data-sharing tools, and a pre-release streaming service. Sound Credit’s founder and CEO, Gebre Waddell, is a lifelong Memphian, software engineer, and audio engineer who has worked with artists such as Public Enemy and The Bar-Kays. Gebre founded Sound Credit in 2017 in response to issues that he had encountered firsthand in his audio engineering career. Learn more about Sound Credit

Whip provides a safe and reliable micro-transit option to connect people and their community using 100% electric vehicles. They work with cities, tourism bureaus, and corporations to provide electric transportation that reduces traffic congestion, relieves parking aggravation, and promotes better air quality in a sustainable way. Learn more about Whip

Metamorphix is a Memphis-based edtech company that helps school leaders identify and support students at a high risk of developing an untreated mental illness, and provide decision support for more effective early interventions.

In Q1, Metamorphix launched with their first customer, a school system in Michigan, and has been getting very positive feedback from the users and administrators.

PARTNER EVENT: MEMPHIS ENTREPRENEURSHIP SHOWCASE

Our growing partnership with the Memphis World Trade Club aims to connect startups with member logistics and supply chain companies that are seeking technology solutions for operational challenges.

These connections create growth opportunities for local startups and opportunities to recruit startups to Memphis. We’re also able to leverage our partnership with Silicon Valley-based accelerator Alchemist to provide startups with resources from Alchemist’s global network of advisors and investors. Stay tuned for exciting programming this fall!

Epicenter celebrated International Women’s Day with a Boss Brunch with a panel centered on making entrepreneurship more inclusive for women.

The panel features Dana James Mwangi, Founder of Cheers Creative and co-host of Epicenter’s Grindset Podcast; Suzanne Drumwright, Serial Entrepreneur in Robotics; Valencia Leonard, Owner of Oh Sweets Skin Care; and Angelita Parham, Founder & Owner of SteeleDivine Cosmetics & Salon

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: BOSS BRUNCH

SPACE UPDATE

InQ1Epicenterhostedthefollowingeventsinourspace:

Coffee and Conversations: Navigate Your Vision with Kimberlee Deneise Richards

Entrepreneur to Entrepreneur Roundtable Discussion for CO STARTERS Alum

Good Food and Fixins Pitch Prep

Good Food and Fixins Pitch Competition and Winner Announcement

Lunch and Learn: Crowdfunding 101 with Kifani Press

The Whole Entrepreneur Series: Black Founder Mental & Emotional Wellness Support

Epicenter’s Boss Brunch

Founder Happy Hour

The Innovator’s Workshop

InQ1,thefollowingpartnereventstookplaceinourspace:

Code Crew Workshop: Intro to Unity

Alchemist Accelerator’s Influencer Series

MATA x APEX Accelerator Business Conference

Indie Memphis Pitch Prep

WeRECENTLYwelcomedthefollowingMEMBERSintoourinnovationcenter: Cxffeeblack

INVEST IN MEMPHIS.

Together, we can make Memphis a city where entrepreneurship knows no bounds.

Your support matters. By donating to Epicenter, you are investing in the future of Memphis and the entrepreneurs who are shaping it. Join us in our mission to empower, inspire, and transform lives through entrepreneurship.

Your tax-deductible donation to Epicenter, a 501(c)(3) organization, allows us to invest directly into local entrepreneurs with essential programming, workshops, and opportunities to gain capital. You can also support entrepreneurs by donating your time via mentorship, expertise, and general business support by e-mailing us at info@epicentermemphis.org.